New Xbox could block secondhand games

As if one wasn't all still a little sore from the OS catastrophe that was Windows Vista, and now Microsoft could be plunging the consumer knife in once more by essentially rendering the secondhand console games market useless.

The information to hand indicates the new generation of Xbox gaming could require users to be permanently connected to the internet, using online verification to log on and access games each time they play. Edge magazine published gaming industry chatter that points to the new Microsoft gaming experience "will be absolutely committed to online functionality"

According to our little Money4Machines spies, gamers will probably buy new games online and be required to activate them via their own Xbox console and Xbox Live account. In layman's terms, the game would be tied to the console and render the secondhand gaming market mute.

Gadget Company Money4Machines are not big fans of things that stomp all over the secondhand gadgets and games markets. Heaps of their customers sell consoles to upgrade to the newest console. But a potentially pleasant upside, as pointed out by one of their office gamers, could be that games fall significantly in price. When the game is cheap to buy new in online-only form, developers could make their money from advertising and in-game purchases instead.

According to Edge magazine, the suspected tech specs for a new Xbox console could include a Blu-ray drive, enhanced Kinect motion control, AMD eight-core x64 processor running at 1.6GHz, D3D11 x800MHz graphics and 8GB DDR3 RAM.

A market sector that Microsoft could access by going online-only and offering cheaper games is the smartphone and tablet gaming market, who could be attracted by low game prices.

Not sure if you want to sell your iPhone and hit CoD just yet? Money4Machines will keep you posted!

The latest podcast

Social media is a vital source of information for news organisations but verifying claims and rumours is becoming more and more difficult.

Are news outlets doing enough to safeguard and promote the truth? A recent report from the Tow Center, titled Lies, Damn Lies and Viral Content, suggests they are not, and demands higher standards of journalists in making sure the truth shines through.